Campbell’s sells European simple meals business for €400m

By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Middle east Campbell soup company United arab emirates

Campbell's has said it will continue to expand its business in faster-growing geographies, including the Middle East
Campbell's has said it will continue to expand its business in faster-growing geographies, including the Middle East
The Campbell Soup Company has agreed to sell its European simple meals business to private equity firm CVC for €400m, but is retaining its largest and fastest-growing elements.

The deal covers Campbell’s national brands of soups, sauces and simple meals, including Liebig​ and Royco ​in France, Erasco ​in Germany, Blå Band​ in Sweden ​and Devos Lemmens ​and Royco ​in Belgium. It also includes four factories, in Puurs, Belgium; Le Pontet, France; Lubeck, Germany; and Karpalund, Sweden.

The businesses within the transaction recorded net sales of $530m (€398m) in 2012.

However, Campbell’s said it would hold on to recently-acquired Danish baked snacks maker Kelsen Group, and the company will continue to export Pepperidge Farm ​products throughout Europe and Campbell’s ​products in the United Kingdom and the Middle East and Africa.

Campbell’s president and CEO Denise Morrison said the sale was part of the company’s effort to focus investments on “building the brands that we believe we can grow around the world, strengthening our core and expanding our business in faster-growing geographies and categories.”

According to Canadean data, the UK soup market is set to grow faster than those in the countries included in the deal, with compound annual growth forecast at 4.2% over the next five years.  Meanwhile Germany is set for 3% growth, France, 2.9%, Belgium 2.7% and Sweden just 1.8%.

As well as the fast-growing UK market, the soup market is expected to grow rapidly in the Middle East over the next five years. Canadean estimates that the UAE will grow its soup volume at a 6.3% CAGR from 2012 to 2017 and Turkey is expected to grow 8.2%.

Campbell expects the sale of its European operations to be completed in fourth quarter of the calendar year 2013, following European competition authority approval.

Related news

Related products

show more

Take Control with Predictive Modeling from Corbion

Take Control with Predictive Modeling from Corbion

Content provided by Corbion | 08-Mar-2024 | Product Brochure

Increased demand for uncured, higher pH formulations and natural products has made the challenge of controlling Listeria difficult. The good news: the...

Oat Groats – Heat-treated Oat Kernels

Oat Groats – Heat-treated Oat Kernels

Content provided by Lantmännen Biorefineries AB | 06-Dec-2023 | Product Brochure

Lantmännen offers now Oat Groats: Heat-treated oat kernels, also known as oat groats or kilned oats, undergo heat treatment to inhibit enzymes that could...

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars